Like you, I used to travel with the most amazing pile of stuff. Then I saw the light! These days, I am fanatical about taking as little as possible. I have not checked a bag on a business trip in over 10 years. Most of my trips are long-haul intercontinental, lasting up to ten days so some discipline is required.

As far as computing and electronics goes, all I take is:

- an iPad

- video interface for iPad so I can deliver presentations with it

- a laptop (the smallest the company will buy for me). Sometimes I will leave the laptop at home and survive with the iPad. If all you need to do is give presentations, keep up with email and keep in touch with the office, who needs a laptop?

- a Kindle (I used to get through 4 or 5 books in a trip and books are heavy. Buying a Kindle was one of the best things I ever did)

- Power supply for laptop (complete with international adapter)

- iPhone, plus USB lead. I charge it via may laptop overnight so no need to take a separate charger)

- a Power Monkey for those awkwards moments when you get low on power in an airport or on a train or somewhere. This has saved my professional and personal life on occasion.

- The wireless interface for my hearing aids. Although I would not wish hearing loss on anyone, believe me whenI say that in-ear hearing aids with wireless audio streaming make the best noice-cancelling headphones every invented. Plug the magix wireless box into the aeroplane entertainment system (or into my phone if I want to listen to music), mute the microphones and there you go.

And, seriously, that's it. I find travelling much easier now I have slimmed down what I take to the absolute bare minimum. And my back feels much better too!

@rich: I've read a few of Pratchett's Discworld series and enjoyed some more than others. Of those, Going Postal was definitely my favorite as I recall.

I'm constantly amazed by the amount of research he puts in and the "hidden stuff." In Making Money he describes what is essentially a water-based analog computer used to model the financial systems of the city ... I later discovered that this was based on a real-world machine!!!

@Rich: check out the comic masterpiece Good Omens by Gaiman and Terry Pratchett.

I agree -- that is a BRILLIANT read. Are you a fan of Pratchett's Discworld series? I know he is not well, and also that he's been working on other projects, but I really hope he does the one where "Moist" takes over the Tax Department (as a follow-on to Going Postal and Making Money)